I was really drawn to the unique curriculum that had been constructed here, and was very impressed with the faculty lineup.

What were the last three things you listened to?

"Und hat der Tag all seine Qual" by Alexander Zemlinsky with Anne Sofie von Otter singing, "It all comes down to this" by Aquilo, "Almost Real" from The Bridges of Madison County by Jason Robert Brown

Hailey McAvoy '20

What is your voice type?

Mezzo soprano

What is your current year of study?

First year

Who is your voice teacher?

Sanford Sylvan

Where is your hometown?

Natick, Massachusetts

Where did you study before Bard College?

I did my undergraduate in voice and musical arts (an independent music research major) at the Eastman School of Music. After graduating, I got a scholarship to stick around for a year and study German and translation at the University of Rochester.

What are your summer plans?

I’ll be singing the role of Taller Daighter in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up at the Aspen Music FestivalWhat was the main factor(s) in your choosing to attend Bard College?

I was drawn to the curriculum at Bard. I knew I wanted to study somewhere that placed an equal emphasis on opera and artsong, along with chamber music and new music. I also loved what I read about Bard's core seminars... the focus on poetry in particular really spoke to me. Overall, I sensed that Bard would have values which matched mine as a performing artist.

What were the last three things you listened to?

1. Whatever they played on 105.9 in Red Hook. People, this radio station is something else. It offers an unpredictable, high quality, endlessly amusing variety of music. Put it in your preprogramed radio channels!

2. Joni Mitchell, Blue.

3. James Taylor Greatest Hits

Margaret Tigue '20

What is your voice type?SopranoWhat is your current year of study?First Year Who is your voice teacher?Lorraine NubarWhere is your hometown?Wantagh, NYWhere did you study before Bard College?The University of MichiganWhat are your summer plans?I will be a Vocal Arts Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center.What was the main factor(s) in your choosing to attend Bard College?The unique curriculum, and the opportunity to study interesting repertoire with artists and teachers I’ve always admired.What were the last three things you listened to?“Thank u, next” - Ariana Grande“Chanson d’Avril” - Georges Bizet (The recording of Marilyn Horne and Martin Katz)“Hammond Song” - The Roches

Jonathon Comfort '19

What is your voice type? Baritone What is your current year of study? First year Who is your voice teacher? Sanford Sylvan Where is your hometown? Bronx, NY Where did you study before Bard College? New England Conservatory How did you spend last summer? Last year I spend the summer at the Chautauqua Institute with Marlena Malas and will be returning this summer! What was the main factor(s) in your choice to attend Bard College? Bard had always been on my radar during undergrad - a number of singers had come to NEC for their Graduate Diploma after Bard. I was drawn to the atmosphere of Bard, a place surrounded by nature, but also the fact that we would go down to NYC every week for lessons. I was also drawn to the voice faculty and the faculty at Bard, their commitment to a deeper level of commitment to the music and the text was inspiring - nothing was surface level at all. I was also drawn to Bard’s commitment to new and already written contemporary music. What were the last three things you listened to? RINA-Cyber Stockholm Syndrome Kasbo-Snow in Gothenburg True Fire by Kaija Saariaho with Gerald Finley as the soloist!

SarahAnn Duffy '19

What is your voice type? Mezzo Soprano What is your current year of study? First Year Who is your voice teacher? Lorraine Nubar Where is your hometown? Cortlandt Manor, NY Where did you study before Bard College? New England Conservatory What was the main factor(s) in your choice to attend Bard College? I was incredibly drawn to the small size of the program, the supportive atmosphere, and the faculty. I was also interested in the opportunity to study a wide genre of repertoire and Bard's unique focus to find my own voice as a performer. What were the last three things you listened to? Lake Street Dive, Overture of Barbiere di Siviglia, and Diane Young by Vampire Weekend

Addie Rose Forstman '19

What is your voice type? SopranoWhat is your current year of study?Second yearWho is your voice teacher?Lorraine NubarWhere is your hometown?Lancaster, PAWhere did you study before Bard College?Eastman School of MusicWhat are your summer plans?We shall see....Ideally going somewhere that I'm able to sing a role in an opera.What was the main factor(s) in your choosing to attend Bard College?It started when my first voice teacher told me that I should listen to recordings of Dawn Upshaw, when I was probably about 14 or 15. Then she mentioned that Dawn had started a program at this school I'd never heard of in the middle of nowhere (which appealed to me greatly), and when I started researching conservatories I was sad to find that it was only a graduate program, and for four years or so it fell off my radar. Then I went to SongFest in the summer of 2016 and worked with Matthew Morris who is one of the most inspiring people I've met -- and where did he go for his master's? Bard. I read up on the program again and knew it would be perfect. I love that the program is small and thus able to be tailored to a singer's individual needs; there is a great appreciation for language and poetry, as well as for a singer's need to be able to move with ease and act well. What were the last three things you listened to? Maria Callas singing Anna Bolena; Three Hildegard von Bingen antiphons that I hope to program on my degree recital; Proserpina's Aria "Signor, quel infelice", from Monteverdi's Orfeo

Sun-Ly Pierce '19

What is your voice type? Mezzo-SopranoWhat is your current year of study? Second YearWho is your voice teacher? Lorraine NubarWhere is your hometown? Clinton, NYWhere did you study before Bard College?Eastman School of MusicWhat are your summer plans? This summer I will be attending the Music Academy of the West as a 2019 Vocal Fellow.What was the main factor(s) in your choosing to attend Bard College? The Graduate Vocal Arts Program is undoubtedly the program of the future. The faculty members provide each student with focused and individualized attention and the coursework is designed to prepare students for the demands of a modern day vocal artist. The emphasis is entirely centered on becoming a multi-faceted and versatile performer in all vocal repertoire from operatic to contemporary music. These factors combined with the incredible professional connections this program offers were major contributors to my decision to enroll in the VAP.What were the last three things you listened to?1. “I’m a Stranger Here Myself” – Anne Sophie von Otter. YUM. (P.S. Her DouceFrance album is gold.)2. “High Hopes” – Panic! at the Disco3. Isabel Leonard’s excerpts from Marnie

Chloë Schaaf '19

What is your voice type? Mezzo Soprano What is your year of study? Second Year Where is your hometown? New York City Where did you study before attending Bard College? Juilliard and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Why did you choose to come to Bard? I chose Bard because of the incredible faculty and the unique way that the program focuses on musicianship and artistry. What are your summer plans? I will be a fellow at Tanglewood Music CenterWhat are the last three things that you listened to? I am constantly listening to a true crime comedy podcast called “My Favorite Murder.” I also am currently obsessed with No Shame (Lily Allen’s newest album) and a folk singer I just discovered named Connie Converse. If you don’t know her, look her up! Her music is amazing and she disappeared mysteriously in 1974.

Paulina Swierczek '19

What is your voice type? SopranoWhat is your current year of study?Second year Who is your voice teacher?Sanford SylvanWhere is your hometown?Mississauga, ONWhere did you study before Bard College?Eastman School of Music (Rochester is a second home to me!)What are your summer plans?I'm still in the deciding process for the bulk of my summer, but I'll be a fellow at Stephanie Blythe's song program, Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar, in May.What was the main factor(s) in your choosing to attend Bard College? The teaching and coaching faculty is unparalleled, and the emphasis on becoming a well-rounded, thoughtful performer speaks to my values as an artist.What were the last three things you listened to?Beethoven's Egmont op. 84, which I'm fortunate to be performing with TON in December; Thirst Aid Kit, my favorite podcast; and John Grant's new album, Love is Magic.

Seol Ah Yoo '19

What is your voice type? SopranoWhat is your current year of study? First year Who is your voice teacher? Edith BersWhere is your hometown? Seoul, South KoreaWhere did you study before Bard College? Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (National University of Singapore) and Peabody Conservatory of Music (Johns Hopkins University)What was the main factor(s) in your choice to attend Bard College? - The OUTSTANDING faculty- The small number of singers: abundant Individual attention and performance opportunities- The well-designed and unique curriculum for singers as performers- Supportive atmosphere!- Close connection to New York CityWhat were the last three things you listened to? -"Ernani!...Ernani, involami" from Verdi's Ernani sung by Montserrat Caballé- "Remember Me" from the movie Coco - Kelly Clarkson's "I Don't Think About You"

Life After the VAP

The curriculum of the Vocal Arts Program fosters fearless entrepreneurial skills, unique artistic values, and provides access to contacts in the professional music world. These special aspects of the program, along with the support of the distinguished faculty, enable its graduates to lead lives in music that are diverse and wide-ranging.

Post-Graduate ProgramsCurtis InstituteGlenn Gould School of the Royal ConservatoryIndiana University, Jacobs School of MusicMcGill University (Drama & Theatre degree)University of Houston, Graduate Program in Speech Language PathologyNew England ConservatoryThe Juilliard SchoolUniversity of Maryland College Park, Maryland Opera StudioUniversity of North Texas